Ep. 4: A Story About 'Bad Timing' You Can Use at Tomorrow's Morning Assembly

"You really, truly,
always have the worst 'timing,' don't you? (laughs)"

This is something my wife says to me quite often.

In fact,

"Why did you have to come at a time like this?"

"Why are you saying that right now?"

Events like these
happen around me all the time.

Therefore,

bad timing,
clumsiness,
mistakes

I am a bit sensitive to words that contain the character for 'ma' (space/timing).

=========================

Now, what exactly is this 'ma'?

Today, as someone involved in architecture,
I would like to share a perspective
that was introduced in a book I read a long time ago.

Of course, this is not a definitive academic theory.

In other words, there are various opinions,
so please read this with the mindset of,
"I guess there's a way of looking at it like that too."

...

In recent years,
the concepts of barrier-free and universal design
have been emphasized.

That is a very important philosophy
centered on consideration for people.

On the other hand,
traditional architecture had slightly different values.

A sense of awe toward gods, Buddhas,
or invisible beings
seems to have been more strongly felt than it is today.

Butsuma (Buddhist altar room),
Tokonoma (alcove),
Tatami-no-ma (tatami room),
Ita-no-ma (wooden floor room),
Doma (earthen floor)

The character for 'ma' is used in all of these.

And in traditional architecture,
there were differences in status for each space.

One step up from the earthen floor (entrance) is the wooden floor.

From the wooden floor, one goes up further to the tatami room.

And at a higher level than the tatami room are the alcove and the Buddhist altar room.

In that way,
order and meaning were given to spaces.

In a book I read a long time ago,

'Ma' (space/interval) was not just a physical space,

but was explained as wisdom
for organizing the order and relationships of things,
I thought.

I found that to be quite insightful.

Come to think of it,

in traditional performing arts, we use the word 'ma'.

In swordsmanship, we use the word 'ma-ai' (distance/timing).

In music, we use the word 'hyoshi' (rhythm/beat).

In conversation, we use the word 'timing'.

These are words we use often.

The same story can be funny if the 'ma' (timing) is good.

Conversely, if the 'ma' is bad, it won't even get a laugh.

In other words, 'ma' is

a sense of distance,

and an order,

It might just be a matter of timing.

It seems to be the same in business.

The timing of submitting a quote.

The timing of visiting to apologize.

The timing of bringing up a consultation.

In all these cases, the results change not just because of the content, but because of the 'timing'.

At a banquet,

'Cheers!'

while saying that,

there are people who try to clink their glass from a slightly lower position than the other person's.

That, too, might be a way of managing 'timing' to show a sense of distance and respect toward the other person.

Ability and experience are important, but,

people who are good at their jobs,

perhaps they are, surprisingly, the ones who never miss this 'timing'.

The timing of speaking.

The timing of listening.

The timing of apologizing.

The timing of acting.

Today, I would like to be just a little more conscious of my own 'timing'.

Of course, when you share this story at the morning meeting, please be careful not to speak too smugly from a high position.

You might be thought of as a 'fool' for it, though (laughs).

If you want to create original work, terms like
stuck in a rut
,
laying the foundation
, or high barrier to entry also seem to be terms derived from construction.

I think it would be interesting to look them up
as topics for your morning assembly.

I plan to write an article about this eventually, but...

=========================
Thank you for reading this far.
I would be very happy if many of you can relate to this.
If you'd like, please follow me or click the ♡ button, as it encourages me.
I hope you'll join me again next time.

*I also distribute the following as a hobby
▶ For those who recommend RC housing
This YouTube channel
▶ For those aiming to become a Construction Management Engineer
This YouTube This note
▶ For those aiming to become a Civil Engineering Management Engineer
This YouTube This note
▶ For those who post SF shorts and essays
This note
▶ For those introducing my books (paper media)
This publisher
▶ For e-books
・13 Behind-the-Scenes Facts Builders Won't Tell You
・21 Episodes Leading to RC Housing
・RC Housing at the Same Price as Wood
・13 Essential Considerations for Choosing a Home